The effectiveness of social story interventions presented with the Orff approach in acquisition of musical skills by developmentally disabled children

Oct 15, 2026

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The study examines the effectiveness of social story (SS) interventions combined with the Orff approach for teaching musical skills to children with developmental disabilities (DD). Three middle-school students aged 11–13 (two girls, one boy) participated in a single-subject multiple-probe design with probe trials across subjects. Findings show that the combined SS and Orff interventions effectively supported acquisition of musical skills, with maintenance and generalisation across learners. Social validity ratings from children and their families were positive, indicating acceptability of the approach.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Developmental disabilities and inclusive education

Evidence-based practices and story-based interventions

Social stories: origin and purpose

Orff approach: principles and educational value

South African Journal of Education, Volume 45, Number 1, February 2025 1 Art. \#2388, 12 pages, [https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v45n1a2388](https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v45n1a2388) The effectiveness of social story interventions presented with the Orff approach in acquisition of musical skills by developmentally disabled children Didem Mutlu Karsiyakali Dogan Project Development and Coordination Unit, Ankara Music and Fine Arts University, Ankara, Türkiye [didemkarsiyakali@gmail.com](didemkarsiyakali@gmail.com) Jale Deniz Department of Fine Arts, Chairs of Music Education, Atatürk Faculty of Education, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye Arzu Ozen Special Education Department, Faculty of Education, Istanbul Kultur University, Istanbul, Türkiye In this study the effectiveness of social story (SS) interventions combined with the Orff approach in teaching musical skills to children with developmental disabilities (DD) was examined. Three middle school children – 2 girls and 1 boy with DD between 11 and 13 years old participated in the study. In this research, a single-subject with multiple-probe design with probe trials across subjects was employed. The research findings demonstrate that SS interventions combined with the Orff approach play an effective role in acquiring musical skills in children with DD. The results also show that all children could maintain and generalise their acquired musical skills. Finally, children and their families’ opinions about the social validity were positive. Keywords: developmental disability; inclusion; musical skill; Orff approach; social stories Introduction The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) classifies developmental disabilities (DD) as autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, speech and language disorders, physical disability, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) . One of the implementations used in the education of children with DD is inclusive education through which those children are trained in general education settings with typical developing peers. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ([UNESCO], 2005:13), inclusion is expressed as “a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education. It involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children.” Jellison (2012:66) states that “[e]ven as each country clarifies inclusive education in its laws and educational policies, the fundamental premise of inclusion – equity of educational opportunity for children with disabilities – is supported worldwide.” In children with DD, the quality of the education provided to them is as important as the quality of the educational environment. In addition to the fact that these children receive education in general education settings, the quality of the education offered to them is also of great importance. It is very important to implement evidence-based practices (EBP) in the education of people with DD. According to the American National Autism Center, some of the EBP include behavioural interventions, a cognitive behavioural intervention package, modelling, a parent training package, a peer training package, and story-based intervention (NAC, 2015) . Social stories (SS) are among story-based interventions. SS were developed after 1991 when teacher, Carol Gray, observed a child having difficulties in physical education class (Feinberg, 2001) . SS, widely used in teaching of students with special needs – mostly autistic students – attending general education classes, play a key role in introducing home

FAQs

What was the main focus of the study?

The study focused on whether combining social story interventions with the Orff approach improves acquisition of musical skills in children with developmental disabilities.

How was the study designed and who participated?

It used a single-subject multiple-probe design with probe trials across subjects. Three middle school children aged 11–13 with developmental disabilities participated.

What did the researchers find about learning outcomes?

All children demonstrated effective acquisition of musical skills, and they could maintain and generalise these skills after intervention.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Riley